In what looks like a bold move, over 100 professional female footballers from across five continents have called for FIFA to sever ties with Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s largest oil companies, as its primary sponsor.
Representing 24 countries, including captains and former captains from national teams like Canada, Italy, Croatia, the United States, and Afghanistan, these players collectively hold over 2,300 international caps.
The players’ letter highlights Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations, particularly concerning the rights of women, and calls into question FIFA’s commitment to sustainability, given Aramco’s record of contributing to global pollution and lobbying against climate action.
“As we all suffer from the consequences of climate change, Saudi Arabia profits, and FIFA is enabling this,” the letter states, pointing to the recent floods, wildfires, and extreme heat impacting the world of football and beyond.
The players argue that FIFA’s decision to partner with Aramco is incompatible with the sport’s equality, inclusion, and sustainability values.
The letter was released alongside polling data from fans across the UK, Spain, Brazil, the US, and Australia, showing that 72% of women’s football supporters believe FIFA should drop the Aramco sponsorship.
Fans are calling for FIFA to seek alternative sponsors whose values align more closely with those of women’s football, even if it results in less financial support for the next four years.
This protest also arrives just two months before Saudi Arabia is expected to announce its bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, raising the stakes even further.
Prominent footballers have spoken out in support of the letter.
Ayisat Yusuf-Aromire, a retired Nigerian female football player who now lives in Finland, said, “As a woman who had to overcome countless obstacles to play football, I deeply value the freedoms many of us in the game now enjoy. We must speak up for those who don’t have these same freedoms. Aramco, one of the world’s biggest polluters, is making the planet unsafe.
“We must stand in solidarity with the women of Saudi Arabia, who are imprisoned for peacefully advocating for their rights, and call on FIFA to drop this sponsorship — for the sake of women’s rights and our planet.”
Danish international Sofie Junge Pedersen also stated, “FIFA’s choice to partner with Aramco allows the Saudi regime to distract from their harmful treatment of women and the environment. We as players refuse to be part of that distraction.”
Former US National Team captain Becky Sauerbrunn, added, “We stand with women like Manahel al-Otaibi and Salma al-Shehab, whom the Saudi regime has imprisoned for simply advocating for their rights. FIFA’s alignment with such a regime is unacceptable.”
Canadian national team captain Jessie Fleming, underscored the sport’s power to unite people: “Football can bring people together. This partnership, however, only divides and prioritizes profit over human rights and environmental responsibility.”
The global unity among these players appears to send a clear message: the values of women’s football cannot be compromised for financial gain. As the world watches, FIFA must now decide where it stands on human rights, women’s rights, and the planet’s future.
